I'd teach the dog to target the cone, and to sit when it reached that target. That would be fairly easy to teach. (I'd teach it close up first, then add distance). Teaching the stand from a distance would actually be the hardest part, I think, most of us don't teach a stand that well (guilty!) But practice and gradual extension of the distance should do it.

I might teach the cone as I did my article indications - it's a cue for the dog to sit. Teach the dog a release to the cone separately. Start with the cone in you hands, show the dog, cue sit. (new cue, old cue, behavior, reward in that order) Gradually put the cone closer and closer to the floor, then start moving it away from you until the dog will execute a sit as soon as they are at the cone.

The main issue with the cone as target is getting the dog touching the cone with more than a tail. You lose points if they do, and in a trial setting you could easily get more wild behavior with the cone.

The main issue with the cone as target is getting the dog touching the cone with more than a tail. You lose points if they do, and in a trial setting you could easily get more wild behavior with the cone.

Hmm, I didn't see that touching the cone was a points deduction. I still think I'd use a target for the behavior, but I'd probably use a target separate from the cone, in that case. I teach my dogs a paw touch to a plastic lid as one of their first shaped behaviors, so I'd probably put one of those by the cone. Thing is that they do require the dog be quite close to the cone, so I would want the dog deliberately going to the cone.

I would use the pvc box that they already know for doing positions. Simple enough. And put the box to the right of the cone so the dog is next to the cone on the right (ideally) as the target space. Then fade out the box a bar at a time till it's just the front bar and then fade it gradually so the dog lines themselves up to be next to the cone, with their front feet next to the cone (sort of like the dog in the picture is but instead of hind feet, front feet). That way for the pickup there's no issues with a barrier for the handler or dog.

with my dogs I would free shape it. At least the go over and stand beside the cone deal. Then work on positions then add distance.

Totally cool and I would do that vs an out of sight any day for Dekka (reason I stopped pursing obed is that I won't do out of sight with her.. which sucks for Kaiden as he only needs one more open leg)